Balloon-guard for creels or the like



Nov. 8, 1932. H. F. BURTON BALLOON GUARD FOR CREELS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 31. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l -I- I- I-i- IEI- I-i- I!- NOV. 8, 1932. F,-BURTQ'N 1,886,638

BALLOON GUARD FOR CREELS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MQZZZ'OZ:

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Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUGH I. BURTON, OI PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOB TO UNIVERSAL WINDING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS BALLOON-GUARD FOR CREELS OR Tn LIKE Application filed August 81, 1928. Serial No. 808,280.

This invention relates to creels for holding supplies of yarn, thread and other strand material to deliver the ends to warping, beaming and other processes; and particularly to a magazine type of creel carrying reserve supplies of material connected to the delivering supplies in such manner that when the first sup ly is exhausted the material will be taken mm the reserve supply without stopping the warping or other operation to creel and piece up a new set of supplies.

One object of the present invention is to provide a creel of the type. specified having means for controlling the strands of yarn or other material as they unwind from the cops, cones or other supply packages to prevent excessive ballooning thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a balloon-guard or controlling-device which operates on the strand as it delivers first from one cop or package and then from an adjacent reserve supply, and vice versa during the continuous delivery of the material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a controlling-device of the type specified having balloon restricting means arranged in tandem or series and adapted to allow the strand to automatically shift from one point to another and back again in accordance with the position of the active cop or package from which the strand is delivering.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the typespecified which is simple in construction and compact in size to avoid obstructing the creel frame whereby free access may be had to the supplies in piecing up the ends.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred form of construct-ion of the invention, by way of example only, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a creel frame showing the yarn cones or packages supported thereon with the strands delivering therefrom through tension-devices and illustrating the improved controllingdevices or balloon-guards arranged between the supplies and the tension-devices;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the creel frame showing a single yarn cone supported on its holder with the strand delivering through the tension-device and illustrating the relative position of the balloon-guard or controlling-device with respect thereto;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the delivering cone and the reserve supply in their relative position on the creel and illustrating the manner in which the strand passes from the delivering cone through the balloonguard to the tension-device; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the balloonguard or controlling-device.

In delivering yarn, thread and other strand material from non-rotatable cops, cones and other supply packages the resistance to the draft on the strand varies the size or diameter of the as the yarn unwinds from rearward end of the package. When the cops or supply packages are full, the strands unwind with comparatively little resistance owing to the relatively large diameter from which they uncoil and the considerable length of yarn in each turn or coil. As the package is reduced in diameter, however, the turns or coils contain a lesser length of yarn and consequently must uncoil much faster. This increase in speed as the yarn uncoils causes in proportion to package, and also the forward to the the strand to be thrown outwardly under the action of centrifugal force resulting in what is termed ballooning.

In delivering the yarn from creels or other supply-stands the ends are usually carried through suitable tension-devices which apply the required resistance to the draft on the yarn. The ballooning of the strands takes place between the supplies and the tensiondevices and frequently when it becomes excessive the strand may be thrown out and released from the tension-device or it may become caught thereon or entangled with other projecting parts of the creel. A par ticular feature of the present invention, therefore, is to provide means for minimizing the extent of ballooning of the strands whereby to maintain them in place in the tensiondevices while preventing entanglement of the yarns which would result in strain and breakage of the material.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use on a magazine creel such as shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,660,299, granted February 21, 1928. In this type of creel the strands unwind first from one supply and when this is exhausted from a reserve supply with the delivery continuous, and the present improved balloonguard or controlling-device is designed to provide for the shifting of the strand from one position to another during this continuous delivery from the adjoining supply cops.

The creel may be of any suitable form and construction and, as shown in the prior atent above referred to and illustrated in Flg. 1 of the present drawings, it comprises'a grill or framework composed of two series of vertical rods 3 and 4 arranged in opposite spaced relation. The rods or uprights 3Jand 4 are supported in suitable socketed feet 5 which may be screwed to the floor, and at the top are connected by cross members or struts, not herein shown. The larger rods 3 at the rear of the frame carry a plurality of supplyholders or cop-supports 6, while on the forward rods 4 are mounted the tension-devices 10.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 3, the supply-holders 6 are preferably constituted by arms 7 swiveled on the rods 3 and provided with suitable spindles or sup orts 8 for insertion into the axial bores 0 the coptubes or yarn-receivers X. Usually, the coptube or yarn-receiver is constructed in the form of a truncated wooden or fiber cone provided with an axial borew which is recessed at at to adapt it to receive a prong or projection 9 on the end of the spindle 8. The construction of the spindle 8 having the prong or projection 9 is fully shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,605,370 to E. F. Parks, dated November 2, 1926. The coptube X carrying the yarn-package Y is simply slipped on over the spindle 8 and allowed to drop into position to engage the prong 9 in the recess w to retain the cop in place on the holder 6. To provide for convenience in placing the cops or packages on their holders and in dofiing the empty tube or yarn-re ceivers therefrom the arms 7 are arranged to pivot on the rods 3 to adapt them to swing to the rear of the creel frame, the construction and arrangement of these parts of the creel being more fully described in the prior patent hereinbefore referred to.

The tension-devices 10 which are mounted on the forward rods 4 may be of any suitable form or construction. As herein shown each tension-device comprises a bracketll clamped to the rod 4 and provided with an upstanding pin or stud 12 for mounting a pair of strand-controller 20, shown in an enlarged perspective view in Fig. 4, is carried on an elbow-shaped arm 21 clamped to the forward rod 4, see Figs. 2 and 3. The arm 21 may have a fork or oke 22 adapted to embrace the rod 4 wit a set-screw 23 screwed through the side thereof to clamp against the rod to secure the arm fixedly in place thereon. At the outer end of the arm 21 is a flat finger or lug 24 to which the balloonguard 20 is clamped by means of a bolt 25.

As shown in Fig. 4 the balloon-guard 20 may take a form somewhat like a spectacle frame, being provided with circular openings 26 at either end which are connected by a relatively narrow slot 27. The frame of the guard 20 is of arcuate shape in plan view, see Fig. 3, and at one end is an extension or arm 28 provided with an ofi'set, ribbed clampmember 29. The clam -member 29 is formed with a flat plate 30 which is slotted at 31 for receiving the bolt 25, previously referred to as the means for attaching the guard 20 to the arm 21. The plate 30 is braced from the arm 28 of the guard 20 by means of ribs 32 which are adapted to overlie or straddle the sides of the finger 24 on the arm 21.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 7

that the tension-device 10 is fastened to the vertical rod 4 in such relation to an associated. pair of supply-holders 6 on the rearward rods 3 that the axes of the two sup ly-co s Y and Y will converge approximate y at t e center of the guide hook 16 through which the strand draws in leading to the tension-disks 15. This alinement of the axes of the supply-" cops with the receiving point of the tenslondevice" provides a stralght course for the strand from whichever supply it may be de livering, and it is especially to be noted that the curved or arcuate form of the balloon guard 20 provides for spacin its eyes or openings 26 at equal distances om the ends of both supply-cops Y, Y. In other words, the arcuate guard-member 20 follows a curve concentric with the point at which the yarn the strand as it leads through the guard to the tension-device. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the axes of the cops Y and Y are inclined downwardly and the guard 20 and its wire 35 are alined therewith to direct the course of the strand toward the guide-hook 16 of the tension-device 10. The slot 31 in the clamping-plate 30 of the guard 20 provides for adjusting the guard toward or away from the supply-cops Y, Y, and in relation to the tension-device 10. When the bolt 25 is loosened the guard clamp 29 may be slid along the finger 24 on the arm 21 to secure this adjustment of the ard'.

The construction'an arrangement of the improved balloon-guard or controlling-device having now been described in deta l, its method of operation on the creel Wlll. next be explained: It will be understood that a guard is supplied for each pair of associated cops or cones Y, Y delivering to a smgle tension-device 10, the arrangement of .the guards in relation to the vertical series of the pairs of cones being'clearly shown in Fig.1

1 of the drawings. The cones are creeled by placing them on the holders 6 with the spindles 8 inserted into their axial bores w and the projections 9 locked in the recess m as shown in Fig. 3. When the cones are bein wound the last end of the yarn, indicated at 'J' in Fig. 3, is wrapped several times around the baseof the cone-tube or yarn-receiver X, a suitable groove or recess being provided for this purpose. The leading end from the reserve cone Y is tied or spliced to this end of the yarn, a few turns of the end y being preferably'wrapped a few times around the base of the reserve cone Y as shown at y. The leading end 3 from the first cone Y is then carried through the appropriate eye 26 in the balloon-guard 20, thence drawn across the wire 35 and led through the guide-eye or hook 16 of the tension-device 10. It is then passed between the tension-disks 15 and drawn out around 7 the guide-hook 17. From the guide-hook 17 the end leads toward the fore part of the creel frame which is usually of the V-type comprising two angularly disposed sections. The ends from all of the several active cones Y on the creel are thus threaded through the balloon-guards 20 and tension-devices 10 and drawn to the apex end of the creel in banks where they are threaded through suit able separators, not herein shown, and thence carried to the warping, beaming or other machine in which they are to be wound or otherwise prepared for further processes.

When the warper or other apparatus is started to operate the draft on the strands will cause them to unwind from the active cones or supplies Y. It will be understood that the present type of creel is used for high speed warping, beam winding or other transfer of the yarn and a maximum speed of approximately 350 yards per minute is usual- 1y maintained as against the customary warper speed of to yards per minute. At this high speed of draft the ends uncoil from the suppl -packages at such a rapid rate that the stran s have a strong tendency to fly out-. ward or balloon between the su ply-packages and tension-devices. This ballooning tendency increases as the yarn cops diminish in size and it has therefore been found necessary to provide controlling means toprevent the yarn from whipping out of the tensiondevices and from catching or entangling with the parts of the creel. With the improved balloon-guard as herein shown and described the ballooning tendency of each strand y is controlled by-its passage through the eye 26 in the guard 20 at a point adjacent the delivering end of the cop or cone Y.

As the strand uncoils from the cone Y it will fly outwardly to some extent as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 3, and during its rapid whirling motion it gyrates within the confines of the eye or opening 26 to restrict or choke the ballooning action. The guard 20 thusserves to control the unwinding of the strand 3 from the cone Y down to the last end of the yarn thereon, and eventually,

'as the yarn is exhausted from the cone Y it will start to deliver from the associated re serve cone Y. As the yarn begins to deliverfrom the reserve cone Y it automatically shifts its position from the left-hand eye 26 of the guard 20 to the right-hand opening 26 to aline it with the axis of the delivering cone. In shifting its position the strand slides" through the passageway or slot 27 which connects the two openings 26, the displace ment of the strand being very rapid and takmg place automatically due to its inherent tendency to draw in a straight course from" .the cone Y to the guide eye 16 of the tensiondevice 10. position in this manner it will revolve within the right-hand opening 26 whereby it is controlled to restrict the ballooning tendency as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that after the yarn on the first cone Y has been exhausted the attendant or operator creels a new supply while the reserve supply Y is delivering; the supply-holder 6 being swung back out of operative position to permit the empty cop-tube or yarn-receiver X to be removed from the spindle 8 and replaced by a full cone. last end of the yarn from the reserve cone Y is then spliced to the leading end of the newly-creeled cone Y so that the delivery may be maintained continuous as long as desired. As the yarn is exhausted from the cone Y, delivery once more ensues from thelast-creeled supply and at this juncture the strand shifts its position from the right-hand opening 26 in the guard 20 to the left-hand opening by again passing through the lateral slot 27.,

It will thus be seen that as the delivery ofthe After the strand has shifted its The yarn is maintained continuous, with the strand unwinding first from one supply and then from the other, the guard acts to control the ballooning of the strand from whichever su ly it ma be drawing.

e guar -wire acts to check excessive ballooning between the guard 20 and the tension-device 10, and further serves as a rest for delivers continuously from different supplies.

Its use makes possible the high speed operation of the warping or other machine to WhlCh the material is delivered by preventing strain or breakage of the yarns due to excessive ballooning. The devlce is extremely sim le in construction, proof against damage or reakage, of compact form to avoid obstructing the creel to prevent free access to the supplies, and furthermore it is economical to manufacture in multiple as re uired for creels employin a large number 0 supplies.

it is to be understood thatwhile I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the device by, way of example, various modifications may be made in its form and construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

1. A device of the type specified comprising a member having a plurality of substantially circular guide-eyes of relatively large diameter as compared with the size of the strand drawing therethrough, said guide-eyes spaced at a distance apart and connected by a passageway, and a strand rest projecting laterally from said member below the guidee es.

2. In a creel, the combination of a plurality of supply-holders arran ed to support magazined yarn packages wit their axes converging, means for guiding the yarn at the point a of convergence of the axes of the packages, and a. balloon-guardarranged between the ends of the packages and the yarn-guiding means and provided with a plurality of sub- ;tantially circular openings of relatively large diameter disposed with their centers substantially coincident with the axes of the packages and connected by a narrow passageway through which the yarn may pass as it" shifts its position in delivering first from one package and then from the other in the series, the yarn being adapted to gyrate around the rim of the circular opening through which it draws whereby to quench its ballooning action.

3. In a creel,.the combination of a plurality of supply-holders arranged to support a series of yarn packa es with their axes converging, a tensionevice arranged at the point of convergence of the axes of the yarn packages and a alloon-guard disposed intermediate the ends of the yarn packages and the tension-device at the point where the yarn drawing from a package tends to balloon to the greatest extent, said balloon-guard having spaced-apart circular openings of relatively large diameter arranged with their centers coincident with the converging axes of the yarn packages and said openings connected y a narrow slit whereby the yarn may pass from one opening to the other as it changes its direction of delivery in drawin first from one package and then from the ot er to feed through the tension-device, the yarn as it feedsthrough the respective opening being permitted to have a gyratory action around the edge thereof to quench or restrict its ballooning action.

4. In a creel, the combination of a plurality of supply-holders arranged to support aseries of yarn packages disposed with their axes converging, means for guiding the yarn from the'packages at the point of convergence of their axes, and a balloon-guard arranged intermediate the ends of the packages and the guiding means, said balloon-guard being curved substantially concentric to the point of convergence of the axes of the packages and having spaced-apart openings through which the yarn is adapted to feed as it leads to the guiding means, said openings being connected by a narrow slit to permit the yarn to pass from one openin to the other as it unwinds first from one padkage and then from another, the openings being arranged to quench or restrict the ballooning action of the yarn at the point where the balloon tends to have the greatest range.

5. In a creel, the combinationof a plurality of supply-holders arranged to support a series of yarn packages with their axes converging, yarn-guiding means at the point of convergence of the axes of the packages, a balloonguard having spaced-apart openings of relatively largediameter through which the yarn draws as it leads from one package or another whereby to quench its ballooning action, and said openings connected by a relatively narrow slit to allow the yarn to pass from one opening to the other, a support for the balloom-guard, and means for adjusting the balloonguard on its support toward and away from the yarn-guiding means whereby to set the openings in the guard with their centers substantially coincident with the axes of the yarn packages.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afi'ix my signature.

HUGH F. BURTON. 

